[CENTER][URL=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTMc2Qi0F9E][u]T R A V E L L I N G   F A R T H E R[/u][/URL][/CENTER]
Edward couldn't help but wince as Luna glared at Constance yet again. The two seemed to have entered a sort of cold war with one another, spitting venom and bile at every opportunity. Constance would, of course, deny such things, and swear it was entirely Luna's fault. Luna would, of course, reply with another sass-filled retort.

He felt quite miserable being unable to be a good mediator between the two. Everything he said seemed to make things worse between he and Constance, and he was quite sure that she hated him. Edward didn't hate Constance, not really. He just wished she could see how her vernacular could be [i]so[/i] irritating. Would it kill her to take some heartfelt responsibility for her actions, instead of blaming other people?

He had hoped, coming on this trip as they had, that the people he would meet would form...if not a close friendship, then at least a working bond with the others on board the Garrloch. That was not the case in this situation. It was almost merciful when Luna was distracted by the young woman who held her bag. She didn't seem to speak much of their language, however, and though she was quite beautiful, Edward really only had eyes for the city around them. It was magnificent, with a hint of exoticism that the United Isle lacked. At least, the parts of the U.I. that he had been to. Edgenook, Canth, they were all so familiar. But this, this!

He could spend an eternity here.

That majestic thought was cut off by Constance's words once again. He glanced at Constance as Collin spoke to her and she replied. She seemed almost...uneasy. As a reporter and journalist, he spent a lot of time reading people. Even though Constance was as bizarre a woman as any he'd ever met, she still got nervous, he assumed. The whole explosion of emotions on the Garrloch had left him convinced that she did, in fact, have emotions.

Ed said nothing as they continued onward, deeper into the city. It looked like something out of a fairytale, but as they passed deeper into Gil-Bagha, the graceful, sloping roofs gradually gave way to blockier, more-modern looking buildings. The architectural style reminded Edward of old pictures the Winged Gazette had in one of their storage rooms, from about twenty years in the past. Could this nation simply be less developed than the U.I. was? He'd seen no airplanes, for example.

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But as they strode into more recent years, a positively ancient looking buggy zoomed by in a street. It looked, again, like a twenty year old model--one of the original models first produced in the U.I. Fascinating. It was all so much! How was he supposed to take it all in?

"Here we are..." said Collin, ignoring the dumbstruck entourage he traveled with. "Holloway Co. Raymond, mind that keep Juliette from straying off." Then their guide held the door open for them, and they stepped inside.

Almost immediately they were met by a sharply dressed young man. "Welcome to Holloway Co, provider of the finery of life at a fine price, and more. May I assist yo--oh, Collin! Good to see you. Sorry I didn't recognize you sooner."

"That's all right, Arn. Is Maxine around, or the others? I have...some family here to see you all." At the man's blank look Collin continued. "From far, far away."

Understanding dawned on Arn's face. He looked at Edward, then Luna, then Constance. "Grandmo--Mrs. Holloway!" He shouted, disappearing from sight. "Mrs. Holloway! Devil Divers!"

"Yes, all right, all right!" A matriarchal looking woman strode out with Arn in tow. "I swear, boy, sometimes I--oh." She stopped when she saw the newcomers, wrinkling her nose up when she saw Edward. He immediately disliked her.

That look transformed into one of quiet appeasement when her eyes fell on Constance. "Ah, look at that. The nose isn't quite right, hm...yes, the ears are a bit large too, I suppose. Still, no mistaking it. A Holloway, are you?" The woman held out a hand. "Maxine Holloway, granddaughter of James Holloway, wife of Ricteo Ulmem. I kept the name, naturally: better for business and less irritating to say. I assume these two are your entourage? I see the Holloways do well for themselves wherever they end up."

"Actualy, ma'am, I'm--" Edward opened his mouth to correct her, but Maxine continued on as if he didn't exist. He caught eyes with Collin, who grimaced. Clearly their guide didn't like the woman much, either.

"You simply must tell me about where you've come from, my dear. Come, come. Tell me your name, of course, and what manner of events brought you to our door." She ushered Constance over to a small sitting area off the side of the entrance. "Tea, Coffee? Something stronger? Arn will fetch anything you like." Maxine pursed her lips, looking over at Arn briefly. "I suppose the two of you must be cousins in some way, mustn't you? How lovely."

Edward leaned over to Luna. "This...is this real life?" He couldn't help but feel that he was stuck in a whirlwind. "Did you see how she ignored me?" he whispered. "I have a pretty bad feeling about this."

"Maxine Holloway is a force of nature," Collin muttered to them as he sidled over. "Her husband is a powerful man in his own right, but Holloway Co. is entirely Maxine's, handed over to her by her father. The Holloways are an interesting bunch: I believe Maxine has two siblings, though she'd never dare talk about one of them, due to his...lackings."

"I see," mumbled Edward, his gaze traveling back to the now seated women. He noted with a little confusion that Arn, then young man who seemed to be in his early twenties, couldn't seem to keep his eyes off that Juliette girl. It was a little creepy, honestly, so he looked over at Luna instead. "I guess you and I are going to be dealing with two Constances now." He sighed. "Lovely."